3 CHILDREN KILLED; A FORGOTTEN STORY

The 22^nd of September marks 39 years since the horrendous event where three innocent children lost their lives at Anse Faure; two others were maimed for life. Around 2pm on a sunny Saturday afternoon in 1979, a group of children was playing football on the beach where the Katiolo nightclub is located, as they usually would. The tragedy started when the group of children found unexploded rocket propelled grenades scattered around the granite rocks. Curious and innocent, one of the boys picked up one of the grenades not knowing what it was. The grenade exploded.

Patrick De Sylva, Andre Etienne and Micky Pouponneau were all fourteen years of age when they were tragically killed. The brothers of Patrick De Sylva and Micky Pouponneau were left badly injured but survived.

The explosion of the grenade also left behind a huge crater in the sand and amplified the fear that was already in the communities in Seychelles during this era.

The army including Tanzanians had been training the nights before around the area and had irresponsibly left these unexploded grenades in close vicinity to the public beach. The Albert Rene terror organization that masqueraded as the government was responsible for this tragic incident through the irresponsible neglect of public safety. The terror regime claimed to one of the families that it was unexploded grenades from World War 2; a clear lie.

For obvious reasons the regime that was responsible for this unnecessary tragedy kept this news out of state controlled media. No compensation from the Government has ever been made to the families concerned, to this day.

This forgotten part of our history shows the consequence of actions of an irresponsible Government. The history of the SPUP/SPPF/Parti Lepep Government shows that even at the beginning of their governance there was complete disregard for safety of the public. The negligence of those who should have known better, meant that children lost their lives. The families are still suffering to this day and there has never been any accountability whatsoever.

A.Pierre